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In just a few hours, we’ll be sitting down to the first of the Fire In The City dates of the Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series for 2014 at Bonterra Wine Room. For those not familiar with the event, think Iron Chef, pitting two local chefs, a secret NC-sourced ingredient, and six courses to wow the dining room while making sure to incorporate the ingredient in each course. Attendees vote for their favorite of each course, while not knowing which chef came up with either creation. In the end, scores are tabulated and the chef with the highest score is crowned the winner for the night.

Now, do that over eight preliminary rounds, and another seven nights of the winners battling each other, and you get the winner of Fire In The City. Similar events take place in Wilmington, Asheville, Greensboro, and Raleigh throughout the year. In the Fall, winners from all five cities will meet in Raleigh to compete against each other in a champions round.

Tonight, we’ll see Luca Annunziata from Passion8 take on Clark Barlowe of Heirloom Restaurant. We’re excited to see the unique creations that are sure to come from these two talented chefs. If you can make a future competition, it is well worth your time!

So we’ve been to some really great places recently and just wanted to highlight two that we love.

Rooster’s Wood Fired Kitchen (Southpark)

Rooster’s isn’t new, and it certainly wasn’t our first visit…but it had been some time since we were last there. It never really disappoints, which is why it is almost always busy no matter the time of day. The hickory wood fired-ovens fill the restaurant with a great smoked aroma that instantly makes you hungry.

Anyone who enjoys southern cuisine should drop everything they’re doing and head to Rooster’s immediately.

Our suggestion is to order a few of the vegetable sides for the table (they’re all large enough to share). We started with fried okra, skillet fried corn, and fire roasted beets. Fried okra is quickly becoming a favorite thing for me. Most I’ve had is heavy on the batter and completely overpowers the okra itself. Rooster’s batter is really light and flaky and seems to barely hang onto the okra, allowing you to really taste the hard-to-describe flavor of the vegetable. You won’t be disappointed with the corn or beets either. I’ve never been a fan of beets, but Rooster’s is making me a believer.

I ordered fried oysters and the arugula salad with chevre, and Harmony Ridge Farm apples for my entree. I was worried the oysters wouldn’t be enough because it came from the antipasti portion of the menu. I was pleasantly surprised when 6-8 large, meaty oysters were presented in front of me. A more firm batter than the aforementioned fried okra made for a nice crunch that complemented the soft of the oyster itself.

Christy’s hangar steak was cooked perfectly and really tender. A friend ordered the boneless beef short rib, which piqued my interest, and will likely be on my list for a future visit. Looking forward to coming back soon.

Pint Central (Plaza Midwood)

Wow…we really like this place. Our visit was mid-day on a Saturday during March Madness, just as the weather was getting warmer. We got our first taste of NoDa Brewing’s CAVU here (very highly recommended). Pint Central has 28 drafts and over 50 bottles of craft beer available.

First impression – The place feels cared for…which after talking with one of the owners, Carlos, is absolutely validated. He came to our table and introduced himself (something that should happen everywhere, but never does). He mentioned they did most of the work themselves, including building the bar and having his mom design the tables.

Carlos’ brother is responsible for the menu. The food isn’t your typical bar fare. The empanadas were some of the best we’ve had, with a light, croissant-like crust that almost had us order another round. The garlic parmesan fries were a great blend of flavors piled high on curly fries (who doesn’t love a curly fry?). Other highlights were the eggplant dip and Brussels sprouts. I look forward to trying the avocado fries and caprese stack on a future visit.

Just a great experience all around. If you’re looking for a place to hang out, give Pint Central a visit. With the weather warming up, they have a really nice patio that’s sure to get busy as more people discover it’s there.

About Christy & Jason

Hi! We're Christy & Jason. We eat and drink a lot. Some people live for their kids. Others live for their pets. We live for good food, drinks, and the experiences that come with finding both.

Most of our adventures happen in and around Charlotte, NC, though we've been known to make great discoveries in other nearby cities like Asheville, Charleston, and Savannah.

We hope you enjoy reading our blog. We'd love to interact with anyone out there reading our posts. As always, any suggestions for new places is greatly appreciated! Happy reading, drinking, and dining....

And if you're wondering about the name of our blog, find out more about Ditch Chicken.